Curbside recycling pickup is ending in Clay County later this year. | Randy Roguski, WJCT News 89.9
Published on February 19, 2024 at 4:22 pm
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Curbside recycling is ending in parts of Clay County, even though waste collection fees will rise.
County commissioners last week approved a contract with a new waste hauler effective Oct. 1. FCC Environmental Services will replace WM, formerly known as Waste Management.
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During the same meeting, the board voted to raise the waste collection fee by 15%, from $228 per year to $262. The increase will be included on November’s property tax bill.
Under the new contract, residents will receive new garbage cans that will allow for automated collection. Garbage will be collected once a week and yard trash once a week, the same as now. Bulk items like old furniture or appliances will be picked up once a month.
Additional services for large trash pickups and for people who need help putting their trash on the side of the road will be available.
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An announcement from the county did not specify what areas would get the new service, but it generally applies to Fleming Island and other unincorporated areas. The town of Orange Park and the city of Green Cove Springs have separate waste hauling services.
County officials were not available for comment Monday because of the Presidents Day holiday.
The county said increasing recycling costs are the main reason for discontinuing that service. In September, the county’s recycling processor began charging $85 a ton to dispose of recyclable materials — a reverse from a credit of $6 per ton the county had received. The added cost would have amounted to $232,489 annually for recycling, the county said.
But the end of recycling is the third major change for Clay County residents in three years. The county suspended curbside pickup for more than 15 months beginning in August 2021 because WM did not have enough commercial drivers.
Curbside pickup resumed in November 2022, but then last December, the county tightened up recycling rules and no longer accepted glass, paper or packaging, which it said was too costly.
Now recycling will be discontinued entirely nine months later.
County commissioners said that only about one-third of Clay County residents recycle and that adding curbside recycling into the new contract would have increased costs throughout the 10-year contract.
The new contract does allow curbside recycling to be reconsidered with one year’s notice to the new waste services provider.
Over the coming months, the county says it will finalize when residents will receive new trash cans, how to sign up for additional services and what days residents will have their waste picked up.
If you have further questions, you can email@claycounty.gov.com.
